tightly wrapped around his as I leaned in close. “Thank fuck you’re OK.”
I kissed him, softly brushing my lips against his and nuzzling his nose.
Pulling back, I stared into those ice-blue eyes, the ones I’d worried about never seeing again. And again, all I saw there was devotion and love. He looked at me as if I was the only person in the room.
I stroked the side of his head, his cheek. The words were on the tip of my tongue—I felt it, and I’d resolved to tell him—but my stupid brain decided to throw up a roadblock.
I didn’t want him to think I was only saying it because he’d nearly died—that it was some knee-jerk reaction to fear. I wanted him to know it was genuine and heartfelt.
So instead I held his gaze. Every other time he’d looked at me like that—with love practically bursting out of his pores—I’d turned away, unable to handle the intensity, the pressure. This time, I returned the look. I thought about how much I loved this impossible, frustrating, broken man, and I let it all show on my face.
His smile widened, and he opened his mouth to say something, but the doctor interjected.
“Excuse me. Make room, please. I do need to examine him.” She nudged her way past Ethan’s bulk and made him and Tyler step back. The nurse joined her and got back to recording things on her clipboard. I had to hand it to them, they were handling the whole “struck down by excruciating pain” thing like champs.
I held on to Alec’s hand as the doctor poked and prodded him, asked him a bunch of questions, checked the bullet wound before the nurse changed the dressing.
At the end of it all, she said she was very pleased with how he was doing. The bullet had managed to avoid major organs, so the worst damage was the blood loss and the injury to his muscles. He needed rest and another blood transfusion, but he would be fine. “I’d like to keep an eye on you a little longer, so you’re staying for another night, but if all goes well, I should be able to discharge you tomorrow.”
She gave him an encouraging smile.
Alec frowned. I could tell he was about to argue, demand to be released immediately, but before I had a chance to chastise him, Tyler beat me to it.
“Wipe that look off your face.” Tyler wagged a finger at Alec. “You were fucking shot. You’re staying here until the medical professionals say you can leave.”
“What he said.” I had to add my agreement. Ethan stepped up next to Tyler and crossed his arms, adding his support firmly but silently. Josh chuckled, endlessly amused by our dynamics, as usual.
Alec may’ve been stubborn, but he knew when he was outnumbered. Plus, no one argued with Tyler when he put his authoritative voice on.
“Fine,” Alec grumbled. “I could use another nap anyway.” He ended on a yawn.
The nurse cleaned up and left the room, but the doctor paused in the doorway. “Honestly, you’re lucky I’m letting you go tomorrow.” She stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked at Alec reproachfully. “You had open surgery. If you were human, you’d be here for at least a week, and you’d be on bed rest for another month after that. We normally keep Variants in the hospital for three to four days, but since you have a Vital, your body has all the extra Light it needs to accelerate healing. So behave for another day, and thank your lucky stars you have her.” She pointed at me, flashed him another challenging look, and left the room.
He turned back to me and didn’t even hesitate. “Thank you.”
I looked down and cleared my throat. “I just happen to be a Vital. Your Vital. I didn’t do anything.”
“Just accept the thanks, Evie.” His voice held a hint of teasing, and I rolled my eyes. We really didn’t have a good track record with thank yous.
Tyler interjected before I could answer with another smartass comment. “What do you mean you didn’t do anything?”
He stepped over to my side of the bed and turned me by the shoulders to face him, frustration evident on his face.
“You literally saved his life. Several others. You transferred Light to every single Variant on our side, and then when we crushed those bastards in a matter of seconds, you immediately made sure the woman with the freezing ability went to Alec. You bought him valuable